What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect, also known as a "Permanent Redirect," is a status code that a web server sends to a browser or search engine to tell that a particular webpage has permanently moved to a new URL. This type of redirect is important for both user experience and SEO.

How does a 301 redirect work?

When a web server receives a request for a page that has been moved, it sends a 301 status code along with the new location of the page. This tells the browser and search engines to automatically update their links to the new URL.

Here is how the process works step-by-step:

1. Request for old URL: A user or search engine attempts to access the old URL.
2. Server response: The web server sends a 301 redirect to the new URL.
3. Automatic redirect: The browser or search engine is automatically redirected to the new URL.
4. Link updating: Search engines update their indexes with the new URL, and all link value is transferred to the new page.

Why is a 301 redirect important?

1. Preserves SEO value: One of the biggest benefits of a 301 redirect is that it preserves the SEO value (link juice) from the old URL to the new. This means that all the links and ranking metrics that the old page had are transferred to the new page, which is essential for maintaining ranking in search engines.
2. Improves user experience: When users try to access a page that has been moved, they are automatically redirected to the new location without having to do anything. This prevents dead links and improves the overall user experience.
3. Manages changes in site structure: If you rearrange your site, change domains or consolidate multiple pages into one, 301 redirects can help ensure that traffic is directed to the right places.

How to implement a 301 redirect

The implementation of a 301 redirect depends on the type of web server you are using. For example, if you are using an Apache server, you can add the following line in your .htaccess file:

Redirect 301 /old-url https://www.yourdomain.com/new-url

If you are using an Nginx server, you can add the following in your configuration file:

rewrite ^/old-url$ https://www.yourdomain.com/new-url permanent;